Beyblade: Championship Tournament
by Miss.Bojangles
Summary: At the dawn of a new tournament, the BladeBreakers meet a strange girl from Ray's past. What will happen if they take her in? KaixSaori(OC) UPDATE! Chapter 5 is up! You can still vote on Kai-Saori-Ray) or Kai-Saori & Ray-Mariah)
1. Ray's Friend

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade or any of the characters in this story save for Mr. Heepe and Saori.  
  
Sato-chan: Hey all! This is my VERY first beyblade fanfic. actually, it's my VERY first of ANY fanfic! So, read and review PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE! I really wanna know how you like it?  
  
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Chapter 1: Ray's Friend  
  
Max woke Tyson up. Tyson was lying on the ground, clutching a lamp that fell onto the ground. He was drooling on the ground, and the corner of his mouth was twitching. Max kicked him gently.  
"Tyson! Wake up!"  
Tyson slowly opened up his eyes. "Max. what time is it?"  
Chief stepped out from behind Max. "It's 10:30. We're late for our training with Mr. Heepe."  
It took a while for it to sink into Tyson's head that they were late because of him. When it finally did sink in, Tyson jumped up and ran to the bathroom. Five minutes later, he ran out, freshly showered and dressed to train. He was wearing a yellow T-shirt and blue jean shorts. Ray, who was in the kitchen waiting for Tyson, grabbed an apple and cleaned it. Tyson ran to the kitchen followed by Max and Chief. Ray threw the apple to Tyson and he caught it and took a bite in it. He grabbed his red jacket and ran out the door. Max, who was wearing his usual green shirt and orange overalls, Chief, who was wearing a white shirt with a green tie and blue jean shorts, and Ray, who was wearing a white Japanese shirt with a red belt and blue sweats.  
The four ran through the streets to the small temple in the middle of the city.  
"Hey, where's Kai?" Tyson asked.  
"He was tired of waiting for you, so he left without us." Chief answered.  
"Oh."  
They reached the building to find Kai sitting on the balcony, on the ground, on a red pillow. He had his eyes closed and his legs crossed. Standing next to him, frowning, was Mr. Heepe.  
"Where have you boys been?" Mr. Heepe asked.  
Tyson rubbed the back of his head. "I slept in."  
Mr. Heepe frowned even more. "Get inside and change into your robes. GO!"  
The four ran in the temple and changed into their robes. The walked out to the balcony and waited for Mr. Heepe to tell them what to do.  
"Sit on a pillow."  
They each grabbed a pillow and sat on it like Kai was sitting on his.  
"Now close your eyes."  
They each closed their eyes.  
"Now concentrate on nothing."  
They each concentrated really hard. In the meantime, Mr. Heepe went in the temple to eat. On the table, were four riceballs, his favorite food. He sat down, then realised that he needed his secret sauce. He got up and walked to the fridge. He grabbed his sauce and closed the fridge door. He walked back to the table and sat down. Just as he was about to pour his sauce on the riceballs, he realised that there were only three on his plate. He looked around.  
"Maybe one fell on the floor." he said. He bent down and pretended to look on the floor. He listened carefully and heard shuffling on the table. He reached for something on the table and grabbed a wrist. He got up and looked at the culprit.  
It was a young girl. She had short red hair and bright green eyes. She was wearing a torn belly T-shirt and a torn blue skirt. She had on very thin slippers that were torn at the heels.  
"Let go of me!" the young girl screamed as she tried to pull away from Mr. Heepe's grip.  
"Who are you?" Mr. Heepe asked.  
"Who cares! Let go of me!" she screamed.  
Out on the balcony, the girl's screams broke all five of the guys' concentration. Tyson looked at the door behind him.  
"We should check that out." Max pointed out.  
Tyson, Chief and ray nodded in agreement, and Kai sighed.  
Tyson jumped up and ran into the temple, followed by Max, Chief and Ray.  
Tyson looked at the girl struggling with Mr. Heepe.  
"I said. who are you?" Mr. Heepe asked again.  
"And I said WHO CARES?" The girl replied again.  
Ray, who was standing behind everyone, stepped through Max, Chief and Tyson. He walked up to the table and looked at the girl.  
"Saori?" Ray mumbled.  
The girl looked at Ray and stopped struggling. "Ray."  
"Mr. Heepe, she's fine. Let her go, please." Ray sighed.  
Mr. Heepe let go of Saori's wrist. Sato rubbed her wrist, which was red.  
"Saori, what are you doing here?"  
"I. smelt the wonderful riceballs, and got hungry. Normally, I wouldn't steal. but lately I've been very hungry and very broke."  
"But, why are you broke? Your parents are so rich!" Ray asked.  
Saori looked at the ground. "They WERE rich. Mum and Papa died."  
Ray's eyes grew wide and he walked up to Saori. "I'm so sorry. That's why you're broke! You have no family!"  
Tears filled down from Saori's eyes. "I have no relatives. Just Mum and Papa, and now they're gone. I have no where to go."  
"What about your aunt?" Ray asked.  
"She was in the car with my parents."  
Ray hugged Saori as she started crying.  
Tyson, Max, Chief and Mr. Heepe just stared. They didn't know what to do or say. The room was silent until Kai stormed in the room.  
"What's the deal?" Kai asked abruptly.  
He looked at Ray and Saori. ".Oh."  
He crept over to Chief. "Who's that?" Kai whispered.  
Chief shrugged. "A friend of Ray's, I guess."  
Ray and Saori stopped hugging and Ray held her hand. He walked over to the group.  
"Saori, this is the gang. Tyson, Max, Chief, and Kai."  
Saori wiped away her tears. "Chief? Is that your real name?"  
Chief smiled. "No, no. My real name is Kenny, but my friends call me Chief."  
"Oh."  
"Gang, this is Saori. She and I were close growing up. She always had trouble with her family, so she took up Beyblading."  
Saori smiled. "Beyblading took me away from my troubles and my family. It let me concentrate on something other than the fact that my family keeps growing smaller and smaller."  
Mr. Heepe put his hand on Saori's shoulder. "I'm sorry I hurt you. I thought you were a common thief."  
"It's okay." Saori said. Her stomach started to rumble.  
"Would you like something to eat?" Mr. Heepe asked.  
Saori nodded slowly and Mr. Heepe led her to the table. She sat down. Mr Heepe went to the fridge and took some ramen out. He put it in the oven to heat it up. He looked over at the guys.  
"Go back to concentrating. As soon as I've got Saori all set up, I'll come out and train you."  
The guys turned around and walked out. They sat on their pillows.  
"Hey, Ray. What did Saori mean when she said her family keeps getting smaller?" Tyson asked.  
Ray sighed. "Saori's family members keep getting involved in tragic accidents. Her family keeps dying. Eventually, it was just her, her parents, and her aunt. Now her parents and her aunt are gone. She's all alone."  
"So, where is she staying?" Max asked.  
"On the streets, I guess."  
"How is she able to support herself?" Chief asked.  
"She probably Beyblades for money. She's the reigning champion of the Championship Tournament, you know."  
Kai slammed his fist on the ground. "Hey, you idiots! We're supposed to concentrate, not gossip! So, shut-up!"  
Back in the house, Saori was eating ramen and Mr. Heepe was eating his riceballs. The room was silent. Finally, Mr. Heepe looked up at Saori.  
"Do you have any place to live?"  
Saori shook her head.  
"Would you like to live with the boys?"  
Saori thought for a moment then ate some ramen. When she swallowed, she took a breath.  
"If it's the only option I've got."  
"It is."  
"Then yeah, Why not? Ray's my friend. and I'm sure I'll like the others! That guy Kai looks friendly!"  
Mr. Heepe raised one eyebrow. "You must have poor judge of character."  
Saori frowned. "Why does everyone keep telling me that?"  
Mr. Heepe smiled. "Beats me. Now, I'm giving the guys an apartment to themselves, so they don't have to worry about changing hotels once their welcome has expired. I'll be paying for most of the rent, and I'm sure none of them can cook, so would you like to live with them?"  
Saori smiled. "I LOVE COOKING! YES! I would like to stay with them! That is. if they're okay with it."  
Mr. Heepe smiled and finished his riceballs. He got up. "If you'll excuse me, I have to pound some manners and fighting abilities into those losers!"  
Saori laughed. "Please do!"  
Mr. Heepe went outside to find Kai deep in mediation, Max with his eyes closed, and fiddling with the corner of the pillow, Chief clutching his laptop with his eyes closed, Ray almost in mediation, and Tyson sitting up, sleeping.  
"Boys! Get up! .Apparently this exercise wasn't as successful as I had hoped."  
The boys got up and stood in front of Mr. Heepe. "I would like to ask you boys a question before we start. Would you be alright if Saori lived with you in your new apartment?"  
Tyson smiled. "New apartment?"  
"Yes, yes. We'll talk about that later. Now, for Saori?"  
Ray smiled. "I'm okay with it!"  
"Me too!" Max agreed.  
"Me three!" Chief chirped.  
"Sounds good!" Tyson mentioned.  
Everyone turned their heads to face Kai.  
Kai shrugged. "I guess. but she had better not be as annoying as these idiots!"  
Inside the temple, you could hear Saori jumping up and down screaming "YES!"  
Mr. Heepe and the guys started training. Five hours later, they finished.  
Tyson was all beaten up, Max was a little hyper, Chief was sweating like crazy, Ray was a little sore and Kai was in perfect condition, and grinning. They walked into the temple and found Saori standing in front of a table full of food.  
"To thank all of you for accepting me into your home!" Saori smiled.  
Everyone showered, then sat down at the table and ate.  
Every once in a while, Kai would look up at Saori and study her. Saori would notice him and smile.  
  
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Sato-chan: So, whadcha think? Review PLEASE! 


	2. So The Devil Has A Heart

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade or any of the characters in this story save for Mr. Heepe and Saori.  
  
Sato-chan: Hey all! I got good reviews (yay!) so here's the next chapter! I will be adding the next few chapters pretty quickly because I already have them written. Here ya go!  
  
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Chapter 2: So The Devil Has A Heart  
  
When the group finished the feast Saori prepared, Mr. Heepe drove them to a large building two blocks away from the temple. They got out and looked at the building in awe.  
"We're going to live here?" Tyson asked  
"You see the small floor on the roof?" Mr. Heepe asked as he pointed to the top of the building.  
"Yes." Max replied.  
"That's your apartment. There are five rooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, family room, and a small balcony." Mr. Heepe explained.  
"Whoa." Tyson and Chief both said together.  
Kai looked at Mr. Heepe. "There are six of us."  
Mr. Heepe counted everyone. "Hmm. so there is. Ah, yes. We didn't expect Saori to live there too. But it's not a problem. Two of you will have to sleep in the same room. We'll just buy another bed."  
Saori smiled. "Oh, no! That's not necessary. I'm the odd man. er. woman out. I'll just sleep in the family room on the sofa."  
"No, no! Max and I will share a room, right?" Tyson suggested.  
"Yeah! No problem!" Max smiled.  
"No, I insist! Look, I've been sleeping in a dumpster for a while now. A sofa would be a very nice change." Saori explained.  
"Fine then. It's settled. Oh, and you have to pay 20% of the rent, so one or two of you will have to get jobs." Mr. Heepe said.  
Everyone, except Saori and Kai, groaned.  
"I'll get a job. You brats need to train and I don't. So I'll get a job. Besides, it will keep me occupied, and keep you away from me." Kai said.  
Saori nodded. "So will I. I have nothing to occupy my time, so I'll get a job as well."  
Everyone looked at Saori.  
"What about Beyblading? Doesn't that occupy your time?" Ray asked.  
Saori laughed. "Oh, no! I don't Beyblade anymore!"  
Ray gasped. "Why not? You were so good!"  
Saori blushed. "I'd rather not say."  
"But."  
Kai groaned. "Look, she doesn't want to tell you. So just shut-up!"  
Saori looked at Kai and smiled.  
Mr. Heepe cut in. "So why don't we have a look at the apartment?"  
The group took the elevator to the top floor then went up a flight of stairs. They reached a heavy steel door. Kai and Ray pushed it open and they walked through the doorway. They were standing on the roof of the building.  
Saori stepped up to the edge and onto the ledge and looked down.  
"Wow." Saori mumbled.  
Everyone except Saori entered a small floor on the roof.  
Saori smiled as the wind blew through her hair. All of a sudden, her right foot slipped and she lost her balance. She was about to fall off the roof. As if in slow motion, someone grabbed her left hand, preventing her from falling. Saori looked at her hero. It was Kai. He put his other hand around her waist and helped her off the ledge.  
"Careful." he muttered.  
Saori just stared in shock. Once Saori was safely on the roof, Kai let her go. He walked into the small floor.  
Saori smiled. "So the devil has a heart."  
She joined the rest of the group in the small floor. As Saori opened the door, she saw the kitchen. It was beautiful. There was everything! A huge fridge, a massive oven-stove, a walk-in pantry, millions of cupboards, everything! Saori ran to the kitchen and opened all the cupboards. They were filled with every food imaginable!  
Saori smiled sweetly. "So this is what heaven is like!"  
Kai opened the fridge and grabbed a pear. He took a bite and looked at Saori.  
"Plus the food's not half bad."  
Tyson and Max ran in and out of every room with ear-to-ear smiles on their faces.  
"The rooms are so huge! And amazingly clean!" Tyson exclaimed.  
Max nodded in agreement.  
Chief was sitting in the family room, on the ground with his laptop resting on the coffee table. Chief turned around and looked at Saori with sheer happiness on his face. "There's even a phone jack so I can hook up to the Internet!"  
His laptop buzzed. "This is great!"  
Saori looked at the laptop. "Uh. Kenny. Are you aware that your computer speaks?"  
Chief smiled. "Yeah, her name's Dizzy. She's my bitbeast. She got trapped in my laptop."  
"Oh."  
Ray walked up behind Saori and hugged her. "Are you happy?"  
"Yes. Very."  
"I'm glad. It'll be fun having you around like when we were kids!"  
Saori smiled.  
Mr. Heepe called everyone to the family room, where he stood. Everyone ran into the family room. Mr. Heepe took an envelope out of his pocket and put it on the coffee table.  
"Don't read this until I have left. Congratulations, all." He said. He headed towards the door. Saori followed him to the front door to see him out. When he left, she closed the door behind him and ran back into the family room. Before anyone else could, she grabbed the envelope and opened it. Everyone looked at her in anticipation. She read it to herself. As she read it, she smiled. All of a sudden, she dropped the letter and started jumping around.  
"Yeah! Woo-hoo!" Saori screamed.  
Everyone looked at her strangely. They all looked at the letter on the floor. Suddenly, they all jumped for it. Tyson grabbed it and stood up. Everyone else lay on the ground, one on top of each other. They looked up at Tyson. Tyson read the letter out loud.  
"Dear Bladers, we are pleased to announce that your group has been accepted in our Championship Tournament. To verify that you will be coming, we are inviting you to our Championship Ball tomorrow night. It is not necessary for the whole group to be there, but it will be greatly appreciated. You may bring family and friends to your leisure. Sincerely, Yuko Tsukino."  
Max and Chief jumped up and grabbed hands. They started jumping up and down and screaming.  
Ray stood up and looked at Tyson. Tyson looked at him. They started laughing out of joy.  
Kai looked around. "What a bunch of lunatics."  
Saori stopped jumping and looked at Kai. "What, aren't you happy?"  
Kai sighed. "I guess."  
Saori smiled. "Whatever." She ran to the kitchen and opened the fridge. She turned around and looked at everyone. "I'm going to make a huge feast, to congratulate you guys!"  
Everyone except Kai threw their fists in the air. "Yahoo!"  
Saori grabbed all sorts of food and started cooking the feast.  
"I'm going for a walk." Kai said as he walked towards the door. Saori ran and blocked the front door.  
"Oh, no you're not! I'm making this huge feast and you're going to eat it. and enjoy it!" Saori ordered.  
Kai just grinned and gently pushed Saori aside. Saori watched him leave and squinted her eyes. "Well he just lost any chance of me respecting him!"  
Ray walked over to Saori. "He's always like that. You get used to it after a while."  
"I don't care if he's always been like that. I'll change his attitude. you just watch."  
The room was silent. All of a sudden, there was a knock on the door. Saori opened it to find Kai.  
"Oh, so I see you've reconsidered?"  
Kai handed Saori a huge box. "Actually, no. Some UPS guy gave this to me. It's for all of us."  
Saori took the box and handed it to Ray, who put it on the coffee table. Saori frowned. "Fine. I hope you enjoy your walk." Saori said. She closed the door on him and walked into the kitchen. "Not."  
Max opened the box. "There are a bunch of tuxedos. and one dress." He was about to hold up the dress when Saori ran and grabbed it. She crumpled it up and hid it behind her back. "Don't look at it! It's bad luck!"  
Chief sighed. "That's for a wedding. It's bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her dress before the wedding."  
A sweatdrop appeared on Saori's forehead. "Oh, really? I knew it didn't sound right. Still, I don't want any of you to see it before we go to the ball!"  
  
While Saori cooked the feast, the guys tried on their tuxes. They all looked handsome. During dinner, Kai came in and expected Saori to have a plate ready for him. Saori grinned. When Kai looked at the diner table, there was no extra plate. Kai frowned and looked at Saori.  
"Sorry, but you left. So I thought you weren't having dinner."  
"I'll eat in the family room."  
"Actually, I'd rather you didn't. I'd like to keep that room clean, seeing as we'll probably spend most of our time in there."  
"Then where can I sit?" Kai asked impatiently.  
Saori thought for a moment. She looked down at a clear spot on the floor.  
Kai shook his head. "I'm not sitting on the floor!"  
Saori grinned even more. "Then you have to stand."  
Kai frowned and sat on the floor. Saori grabbed a plate and got his dish ready. She handed it to him. Kai looked at the plate. There was one riceball, a couple peas, and one meatball. Kai looked up at Saori.  
Saori shrugged. "Sorry, the guys shotgunned everything else!"  
She turned around and sat down and continued eating her dinner. She felt proud of herself. She stood up to 'The Mighty Kai'. Ray winked at her. Saori smiled and stuck her tongue out.  
Kai ate his dinner on the ground and when he finished, he went to his room and went straight to sleep.  
  
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Sato-chan: This chapter is pretty long. Sorry 'bout that, but I was REALLY into the story when I wrote this chapter and completely forgot to end the chapter earlier. So, review please! 


	3. The Job

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade or any of its characters save for Saori and Mr. Heepe.  
  
Sato-chan: Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I went camping, then had parties. I'm a busy, busy girl. Thanks for all of your reviews, they're great.  
I have a question for you all. Should I add Ray into the little romance section and have a triangle? (Kai/Saori/Ray) or should I leave it alone? Or maybe, should I add some Ray/Mariah? You get to vote. decide which would make my story better.  
Here's a good idea as well: would YOU like to be in my story? At this point, vote on whether I should add more Ocs (you guys) or not. Don't tell me information about yourselves. I'm either going to do it or not.  
YOU VOTE!  
  
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Chapter 3: Jobs  
  
Kai woke up early the next morning. He changed into his usual outfit and walked towards the kitchen.  
  
As he passed the living room, he noticed that the sofa was empty, except for a wrinkled pillow at the end.  
  
"Odd." he thought. Just as he was about to go to the kitchen, he noticed that the vase of flowers on the coffee table had fallen over.  
  
He signed. "One of those losers must have knocked it over last night."  
  
He walked around the sofa to the vase. There, lying between the sofa and the coffee table, was Saori. She had fallen off the sofa during the night. She looked so beautiful lying there he couldn't help but stare. She also looked really serene and he debated whether he should put her back or not.  
  
Kai slowly bent down and placed his arms under her. He gently lifted her up and placed her on the sofa.  
  
She grabbed her pillow and smiled as soon as Kai's arms left her. He unwillingly smiled back.  
  
"Kai..? What. are you doing?"  
  
Kai quickly shot his head up. Ray stood at the doorway to his room looking at Kai with a quizzical expression.  
  
Kai frowned and stormed into the kitchen. "I was just." he started explaining when Tyson ran out of his room.  
  
"Morning everyone!" he screamed. Saori jumped up as he said it and fell off the sofa.  
  
"Sorry Saori." Tyson mumbled.  
  
Saori got up and looked at the coffee table.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
Kai ate a spoonful of cereal. "You knocked it over when you fell off the sofa. I think."  
  
"Oh. Well, that would explain why my whole left side aches. I'll clean it up." Saori smiled and started cleaning.  
  
Max and Chief slowly walked out of their rooms, dragging their feet and yawning. They walked over to the kitchen table and started eating breakfast.  
  
When Saori finished cleaning, she walked over to the front door and grabbed a black windbreaker from a hook on the wall. "I'll be back in time for the ball. See you guys later!"  
  
Ray ran up to her and stopped her before she could leave.  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"I'm going to try to find a job. I've also got some. business to take care of."  
  
Ray nodded. "Want company?"  
  
"No, I'm fine."  
  
"You sure?" Ray persisted.  
  
Saori sighed. Ray always used to do this. He always wanted to tag along with her. Everywhere she went, he followed. Normally, she was okay with this. This time, she wanted to be alone. But how could she discourage him? What could she say?  
  
"Umm." she started  
  
"I'm going with her, so you don't need to worry." Kai said as he got up. He walked up beside Saori and looked at her. "Let's go."  
  
Saori nodded and they left.  
  
When the door closed behind them, Saori turned to Kai. "Thanks."  
  
"Well, I could tell you didn't want him to join you. And I'm sick of his voice."  
  
Saori smiled. Kai opened up the door to enter the apartment building. They walked in and got in the elevator. Once they reached the lobby and left the building, Saori looked at Kai. "Thanks again. But I still think you're a pompous jerk."  
  
Kai grinned evily. "Fine. I still think you're a sissy tart."  
  
They separated, Saori going right and Kai going left.  
  
Back in the apartment, Tyson, Ray, Max and Chief all stared at the door in awe.  
  
"He's. being. sociable?" Chief asked.  
  
Ray and Max nodded. Ray turned around and walked to the kitchen table. He sat down and looked at his hands.  
  
"She chose him over me. I've known her almost my entire life and she chose him."  
  
"She doesn't know what she's getting into. If she thinks she's going to have a good time with ol' Smiley there, she's dead wrong." Tyson pointed out.  
  
Max finished his breakfast and walked over to the sink and placed his dish in it. He was about to walk away when he noticed a little yellow slip of paper. He picked it up. There was an address on it and the letter 'X'. The writing didn't look like one of the guys' so he figured it was Saori's. He walked over to the fridge and used a magnet to keep it on.  
  
"What's that?" Tyson asked.  
  
"Just an address. I think it's Saori's."  
  
Kai walked into Antonio's Pizza. He looked around. The place smelt of hot pizza sauce. A big Italian man walked up to him and smiled.  
  
"Can I help you?"  
  
"Yeah, I need a job."  
  
"Alright, well, do you have any experience?"  
  
"Uh. not really."  
  
"Oh. Okay. give me your name and number and I'll get back to you."  
  
Max sat on the couch beside Chief. I feel bad about making Saori get a job."  
  
Ray grabbed a glass of water and sat down beside him. "Don't worry." He took a sip. "Saori'll be fine. She's not the type of girl who can't do anything except look good. She's more down-to-earth. We used to play almost every sport together and she could beat every guy in town. Saori's so amazing. She offered to get a job and she'll get one without any trouble at all. She won't hate us for making her get one. She's probably thrilled because she knows she's helping us. Saori's so incredibly self-less."  
  
Max and Chief looked at him oddly. There was a long awkward silence that was soon broken by Dizzy.  
  
"Sounds like you have a thing for her."  
  
Ray blushed. "I.well. she."  
  
Kai looked at the sign in the window of a day-care. 'Help Wanted: 2 teenagers preferably'.  
  
"Working with kids. do I really want to do this?" he asked himself.  
  
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He walked into the day- care and opened them. Everything was light pink and light green. There were little ducks on the wall. Kai shivered and walked up to the counter.  
  
"The sign in your window says you need a teenager?"  
  
The lady behind the counter smiled. "Yes. I already filled one position, but would you be willing to be a janitor?"  
  
"Uh. I suppose."  
  
"Great! You're hired! You can start today, at 4:00pm. After all the kids have gone, you can come clean."  
  
Kai nodded and looked ta his watch. It was noon already. He walked out and went to get lunch.  
  
4:00 came and Kai went to the day-care to start the first day of work. He walked through the front door and the lady pointed to another set of doors, which lead to the main room.  
  
When he got there, a young girl his age was pulling the mop from out of the closet. Her back was facing him, so he couldn't see her face.  
  
"Uh. thanks. I got it from here." Kai said softly to her.  
  
"Alright." She said as she turned around.  
  
Kai gasped. Damn. She was the one person he didn't want to see all day.  
  
Saori smiled at him. "So you got a job here too?"  
  
Kai nodded unhappily.  
  
"Well then, I'll help you clean up."  
  
For an hour, Saori and Kai cleaned up the place. Saori would find a messy table, and Kai would clean it up. Saori would discover a dirty spot, and Kai would mop it up. Sometimes, Saori would 'accidentally' drop a jar of paste, which Kai cleaned up. Kai frowned the whole time, but Saori smiled.  
  
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Sato-chan: So, everyone, don't forget to review and VOTE! Results will be posted at the beginning of the next chapter! 


	4. The Ball

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Beyblade. I do own, however, some characters, such as Saori, Mr. X, and Mr. Heepe.  
  
Sato-chan: Hey all! Surprisingly (hah. I lie) I only got 1. that's right, 1 vote on Kai/Saori/Ray or Kai/Saori + Ray/Mariah. For now, the story will be Kai/Saori/Ray, but if you vote, you can change that. I would like to hear more opinions or else I'll think my story sucks! And I personally don't want to think that. As for the whole 'Put yourself in ym story', I've scrapped that idea. I know, it was a bad idea. I had a cheesy moment. Sorry for my lapse in judgement. Here's chapter 4!  
  
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Chapter 4: The Ball  
  
Tyson stepped out of his room after changing into his tuxedo. Max and Chief looked at him.  
  
"I look like a penguin." Tyson mumbled.  
  
Max smiled. "Don't worry, Tyson. We all do."  
  
Ray paced by the door. "She should be back by now."  
  
"Don't worry, Ray, she'll be here soon." Tyson assured.  
  
Just as he said that, Saori and Kai walked in the door.  
  
"Hi guys! Hey. why are you all wearing tuxes?" Saori asked as she looked at the guys.  
  
"The ball. we're gonna be late if you two don't hurry." Max replied.  
  
Saori nodded, grabbed the box with her dress, and walked to the bathroom to change.  
  
Kai sighed. "I'm not going."  
  
"What?!?! Why not?" all three guys asked at once.  
  
Kai walked over to the fridge and opened it. "I just don't want to."  
  
"Afraid you'll look bad in a tux?" Tyson grinned.  
  
Kai scowled and took a bite of an apple.  
  
5 (silent) minutes later, the doorknob to the bathroom door started to jiggle.  
  
The guys all turned and faced it. Saori walked out smiling. She looked gorgeous. The top of the dress was black, and it fitted perfectly. The straps wrapped around her arms, leaving her shoulders bare. The bottom part of the dress was dark green, and it spread out. When she moved, the dress flowed and wrapped around her legs, showing off her incredible figure. The straps of her sandals wrapped up her ankle, and had rhinestones on them. She had taken her hair on the right side and clipped it up with a beautiful flower clip, which was small, but very noticeable. She lightly outlined her eyes with black eyeliner and covered her lips in a subtle pink shade, with clear lip-gloss over it, which made her lips glow.  
  
Ray, Max and Chief smiled. Tyson gaped at her, never blinking.  
  
Saori noticed him and pushed him over. "Tyson, get a life."  
  
Saori looked at the guys who were to accompany her. They all looked great in their tuxes. She looked over to Kai. He wasn't wearing a tux.  
  
"Kai, you're not coming?" she asked.  
  
Ray took a small breath. "No, he 'just doesn't want to'."  
  
Kai looked at Ray, then Saori.  
  
"If it fit in the tux. I'll go." he mumbled.  
  
Saori smiled and handed him his tux. He walked into his room to change.  
  
As he was changing, he thought to himself.  
  
"Wow. Saori's really beautiful. I saw her walk out and I almost collapsed. I'm so stupid. all I did was stare. I was speechless. what an idiot!"  
  
He finished changing, except for the bowtie. He looked in the mirror.  
  
"Wait. what am I doing? I can't like Saori. she's. one of THEM. She's. she's. not my type. I can't let her distract me. Now that a new tournament is starting, I have to focus on that, not her. That's right. Ignore her. She's nothing to you, Kai. Nothing."  
  
Kai walked out of his room holding his bowtie and looking at the ground.  
  
"Well?"  
  
Kai sighed. "It fits. but I can't get this bowtie on."  
  
"I'll do it for you!" Saori's voice beamed.  
  
Kai looked up. Saori stood in front of him, smiling.  
  
"Nothing, Kai. She's nothing. she's. beautiful. KAI! STOP IT RIGHT NOW!"  
  
Saori took the bowtie and wrapped it around his neck.  
  
"Now, I haven't done this in a while. since my dad died. so if it sucks, sorry."  
  
A tall man in a suit opened the door of the limousine that drove them there. He held his hand out and Saori took it. She stepped out and looked up at the building in front of her. As the others stepped out, she couldn't tear her eyes away. It looked like a castle. A dream castle.  
  
Ray put his hands on her shoulders.  
  
"Let's go."  
  
Saori smiled and nodded and she and the guys walked into the giant castle.  
  
There were so many people, most around her age. Some were standing by the food table, sipping their drinks and chatting. Some were on the dance floor getting their groove on, and some were sitting at tables chatting.  
  
Tyson and Max ran to the food table. Chief went over to a table and started a discussion with a blue-haired boy.  
  
Saori's eyes lit up and a slow song started. She smiled and reached behind her. She grabbed the first hand she could feel and pulled it towards the dance floor. Once she reached it, she spun around and looked at her dance partner. It was Kai.  
  
Kai looked at her strangely. Saori shrugged and put her arms around him.  
  
Kai's eyes grew wide and he panicked. "What do I do? Uh. hands. around her. waist. WAIST?!?!?! You've got to be kidding me!"  
  
Kai gulped and put his arms around her waist. Saori rested her head on his shoulder as they started to dance.  
  
Back at the doorway, Ray watched Saori and Kai dance. "That should be me. I'm her best friend." he sighed and walked over to join Max and Tyson at the food table.  
  
Tyson was gulping down everything in sight and Max was watching him, laughing. Max looked at Ray, who was sulking.  
  
"Something wrong?"  
  
Ray nodded and pointed to Saori and Kai, who finally calmed down and danced smoothly and perfectly.  
  
"Why is she dancing with him instead of me?" Ray asked.  
  
Max shrugged. "Maybe she wants to get to know him. She'll probably dance with all of us sooner or later."  
  
"Yeah, but I should be the first."  
  
The song finished and Saori let go of Kai. For some reason, though, Kai didn't let go of Saori. Saori looked ay him funnily.  
  
"The song's over." she pointed out.  
  
Kai snapped out of wherever he was and let go of her. Saori ran over to Tyson and grabbed his arm.  
  
"Stop stuffing your face with little hot-dogs and come dance!"  
  
Tyson winced and walked to the dance floor with Saori. Fortunately for Saori, Tyson's sticky hands didn't have to mess up her dress because it was a fast dance song.  
  
One by one, Saori danced with all the guys. After dancing with Chief, which was weird because it was a slow song and he's shorter than her, she walked up to Ray.  
  
"Saving the bets for last!" she smiled.  
  
Ray smiled, but was still upset over Kai. It was another slow song and Saori wrapped her arms around him. Ray did the same.  
  
A couple seconds into the song, Ray loosened his grip.  
  
"Saori.?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
Ray chose his words very carefully. "You danced with Kai first. I didn't think you'd dance with him at all. it. surprised me."  
  
Saori smiled. "To be honest, I didn't want to dance with you first, because, like I said, I wanted to save the best for last. Plus, I figure if I dance with you last, we could dance for more than one song consecutively. I also thought you would understand and not get angry."  
  
Ray sighed. "I wasn't angry. it really didn't bother me." he lied.  
  
"I don't play favourites. at least I try not to. but Ray.?" Saori stopped dancing and stepped back. "If I had to chose a favourite, it'd be you." She said seriously.  
  
Ray stared at her blankly. After letting what she said sink in, he smiled and hugged her. They danced the rest of the song hugging each other.  
  
Saori was the hit of the ball. She danced with Ray quite a few more times, as well as the other guys, all except Kai, who, when asked to dance, would turn around and mumble "No way.". Saori hadn't noticed, but when he turned away, he blushed like mad.  
  
Saori also danced with just about every guy at the ball, and made many new friends.  
  
As Saori danced with the blue-haired boy that Chief was talking to earlier, she noticed a tall, dark-haired man watching her from the corner of the room. She watched him for a little while, and then, it occurred to her. She knew him. She immediately tensed up and waited for the song to end.  
  
Towards the end of the song, the man walked out clear glass doors that lead to a balcony. The song ended and Saori subtly walked out to the balcony. Kai, after taking a bite of a small cupcake, noticed her leaving. She looked suspicious.  
  
The man had his elbows resting on the ledge, looking out at all the small lights before him. She walked up beside him and did the same.  
  
"Why are you here?" she asked.  
  
"I need to collect information. It has nothing to do with you."  
  
Saori shook her head. "Look, part of the agreement was we stay away from each other. You're not holding up your end of the bargain."  
  
"I didn't know you would be here."  
  
Saori turned and faced him. "Were you even invited to this ball? Or did you fake the invitation like you fake everything else?"  
  
"I was invited."  
  
"X, you don't even have a team! You can't be in the tournament alone!"  
  
"Who said I was alone?"  
  
"No one would EVER join a team with you!"  
  
The man faced her and put his hand over his heart. "That hurt me, Saori. it hurt me really bad."  
  
"Who's in your team?"  
  
"Hey, I have friends!"  
  
"Yeah. imaginary ones."  
  
The man frowned and grabbed Saori by the neck. "Look, brat! You had better."  
  
"HEY! LET HER GO!" a voice yelled.  
  
The man looked over at the source of the voice. Saori put her hands on the man's hand and tried to pull it away.  
  
The man sighed, let go of Saori, and walked back to the ballroom. "I have to go anyways."  
  
Saori fell to her knees and rubbed her neck.  
  
Kai walked over and bent down. "You alright?"  
  
Saori nodded and smiled. "You're always saving me."  
  
Kai lightly blushed and helped her up. They looked over the balcony and saw the man walk out of the building. Kai looked at Saori.  
  
"Let's go dance." He suggested and held his hand out.  
  
"You're being nice."  
  
Kai grinned. "If you tell the guys, I'll have to kill you."  
  
Saori smiled and grabbed his hand. They walked to the ballroom and danced a few more dances.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sato-chan: PLEASE REVIEW!!! IT MEANS SO MUCH TO ME, YOU HAVE NO IDEA!!!! (I know, I'm needy.. what can I say?) 


	5. Random Attack?

Sato-Chan: Hey there, folkies! I haven't updated this story in YEARS! But… I received a review that reminded me of it, so I decided to add to it. While I am pleased with the votes for the romance area of this story, I am going to continue asking for your votes. Kai/Saori/Ray, Ray/Saori, Kai/Saori Ray/Mariah There are your options! So VOTE!

Chapter 5:

Random Attack?

Tyson yawned. "Man, last night was so…"

Max yawned. "Tiring?"

Tyson nodded.

Ray stepped out of his room and looked around. "Where's Saori?"

"She and Kai went to work." Max explained.

"Oh….. ok."

"But she left us a thousand waffles!" Tyson said giddily.

Kai and Saori walked down the street towards the daycare.

"So who was that guy?" Kai asked, after minutes of silence.

Saori looked confused. "What guy?"

"The guy at the ball….. that almost killed you."

"Oh….. _him_." Saori looked away.

Kai leaned in, awaiting an answer.

Saori turned to face him and their faces almost touched. They stopped walking; they stood on the sidewalk looking at each other. Either one knew what to do.

Saori thought to herself. "This is awkward….. how do I make this not weird?"

Saori lifted her foot and fell to the ground. The thud of her body hitting the ground snapped Kai out of his daze. He looked down at her, rolled his eyes and held his hand out.

"Clumsy….." he mumbled as she grabbed his hand and got up. They continued walking. "You never answered my question."

Saori smiled. "He's just this guy that I used to battle a lot. I beat him every time, obviously!"

Saori opened the apartment door after work. She stepped in and heard Dizzy's voice.

"Xavier Dixon. Bitbeast: GhostPython. Specialty: Sneak Attack….."

Saori gasped and ran to the plug outlet and unplugged the computer.

"SAORI!" Chief screamed. "What did you do that for? You could have hurt Dizzy!"

Saori put her hands on her hips. "What were you looking _him_ up for? What do you know?" Saori screamed, obviously upset.

Chief stood up. "He's on the first team we're going to fight."

Saori raised her eyebrows, not expecting to hear that. "Right….. ok….. well then….. continue….." she plugged Dizzy back in.

"What happened, Chief?" Dizzy asked.

Chief watched Saori run into the bathroom. "I'm not sure….."

In the bathroom, Saori sat on the edge of the bathtub and buried her face in her hands.

"What did I just do? I could have exposed everything I've been working towards!" Saori sobbed.

An hour and a half later, Saori was still in the bathroom. Tyson, Max and Chief sat on the sofa, staring at the door. Ray walked into the apartment and looked at them. "Hey guys. …..What's up?"

"How was shopping? Find anything nice for Saori?" Max asked, not breaking his stare.

Ray, confused, nodded. "Yeah….."

"Good. It might come in handy." Tyson mumbled.

Ray walked up to them. "Guys, what's going on?"

The three boys pointed to the bathroom door. "Saori's been in there for at least two hours." Chief explained.

"And we're afraid to ask where Kai is….. he hasn't come home yet." Max continued.

Ray stepped up to the door and knocked.

Inside the bathroom, Saori had made herself comfortable sitting in the bathtub, quietly mumbling about how stupid she was. She heard a soft knock on the door and looked up.

"What do I do?" she asked herself. "If I don't answer the door, they'll know something's up, but if I do, I might expose the plan even more!"

"Saori? It's me, Ray."

Saori got up and unlocked the door. Ray opened it and stepped in. He closed the door behind him.

"Everything ok?" he asked.

Saori sat on the edge of the bathtub and looked at her feet. "I spazzed out when Dizzy was looking up the competition for the tournament. I….. I almost broke Dizzy."

Ray smiled sweetly. "That's what this is about? Dizzy?"

Saori looked up at him. "Stupid, right?"

Ray put his arm around her. "Don't worry. No one hates you. And Dizzy's fine. Nothing's wrong."

Saori smiled. "And Kenny doesn't hate me?"

"No, no. No one does."

Saori put her arms around Ray and hugged him. "Good….."

Ray smiled. He loved it when she hugged him. "I got you something."

Saori's eyes lit up. "What is it?"

Ray pulled a little box out of his pocket and held it out to her.

Saori smiled cheekily. "My, Ray, darling. I knew you liked me, but _marriage_!" she laughed.

"Just open it….." Ray laughed.

Saori opened the box and gasped. It was the most beautiful necklace ever. It was a sapphire surrounded by tiny diamonds.

"It's beautiful!" Saori beamed.

"I knew you'd like it. And it's all real." Ray explained.

Saori was speechless.

"Don't worry… I'm paying it off in installments."

Saori put it on. "But the question is….. am I really worth installment paying?"

Ray smiled. "You know you are."

Saori hugged Ray as tightly as she could.

Ray sighed. "By the way, the guys wanted to know….. where's Kai?"

Saori chuckled. She got up and opened the bathroom door and saw the boys sitting on the sofa, staring at her.

Once they realized she was watching them, they quickly pretended like they were doing something else.

Chief opened up Dizzy. "So what are the latest updates?"

"Uh….. what are you talking about, Chief?" Dizzy asked, confused.

Max stuck his hand down between the cushions of the sofa. "Now I _know_ I heard the penny fall down here…"

Tyson made his body go limp and pretended that he was sleeping.

Saori laughed. "At the daycare, a kid puked, so Kai stayed late to clean it. He should be home by now, though."

Just then, Kai stormed into the apartment. Everyone looked over at him and gasped. He was all beaten up and limping.

They ran over to him and helped his to the nearest chair.

"What happened?" Max asked.

Saori handed Kai an icepack which he pressed against the side of his left eye. "Some guy came out of nowhere and challenged me to a battle. He looked like some moron who didn't know a Beyblade from his elbow, so I refused. Then he started beating me up until I agreed. When we battled, I was so weak from his attack that he won. Then he took Dranzer….." Kai winced as he pulled the icepack away.

"HE TOOK DRANZER?" Tyson screamed.

"But what about the battle tomorrow?" Chief panicked.

"Ray can take my place, I'll battle once I get my Dranzer back." Kai explained.

"How are you going to do that?" Tyson asked, angrily.

"I'll find the jerk and kick his butt!"

"Without a Bitbeast?"

Kai sighed. "Yeah. I'm still the best. I can still beat him without Dranzer. I know his technique, it's easy to see."

Saori slinked back to the sink and grabbed a glass. She slowly poured Kai a glass of water. She stared at the water as she thought.

"What is he doing? This isn't part of the plan!"

"Saori, everything ok?" Ray asked as he put his hand on her shoulder.

"Ray, this is not the time to worry about me." Saori frowned. She spun around and walked over to Kai. "Here, drink….."

Kai looked up at her. He grabbed the glass but made sure his hand was on top of hers. He held her hand in place. He looked into her eyes and gave her a strange look.

Saori quickly pulled her hand away from Kai's and looked away. "He knows it was him!" she thought to herself.

"Ok, everyone calm down. I'm going to make dinner and I want everyone to give Kai some space. The last thing he needs is people crowding him." Saori explained as she grabbed some pans from the cupboards.

Everyone slowly walked away to go do their own thing.

That night, Saori couldn't sleep. She quietly got up and walked up to Tyson's room and heard him snoring through the door. She walked to Max's room and saw him sleeping. She passed by Chief's room and heard him talking to Dizzy. The next room was Kai's; the room she was interested in. She slowly opened the door and looked in.

"Kai…..? You sleeping…..?" she whispered.

"No, come on in." he whispered back.

Saori stepped in and quietly closed the door behind her. She crept up to the end of his bed and sat on it.

"What was that look all about?" she asked.

Kai sat up and looked at her. "It was that man. The man from the ball. He's the one who attacked me."

Saori took a deep breath. "If you think I can get Dranzer back for you just because I know him….. I can't."

Kai shook his head and tapped the bed beside him. Saori crawled over and sat beside him.

"I'm just….. afraid." Kai explained. "For you. If he knows how to get me, he knows how to get you. I don't want him hurting you."

Saori smiled. "Don't worry. He won't hurt me. He _can't_."

Kai looked confused.

"It's hard to understand….." Saori explained.

After a moment of silence, Saori looked over at Kai.

"You're worried about me!" she laughed.

Kai frowned. "No….. I'm not….. I just….. if anything happened to you….. Ray wouldn't be happy….. and he wouldn't be able to concentrate during his battles!"

Saori eyed Kai suspiciously. "Yeah right!" she laughed as she nudged him.

Kai smiled sheepishly and rubbed where she nudged him.

Saori gasped. "Oh my god! I forgot you were beaten up! Are you okay?" she laughed as she looked at his shoulder.

In the next room, Ray lay in bed, listening to Saori and Kai. He sighed and turned to his side. He slowly and unhappily tried to fall asleep.

Sato-chan: This chapter was fun to write, although I expected it to go a different way; it even had a different title! But, I sorta let my fingers do the writing and this is how it turned out! So Review Please!


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